The Timbers take on the Miami FC Blues tonight at PGE Park as the two wrap up their seasons series on Nike Night. The first 2,000 fans at tonight's match receive a Nike drawstring bag. Listen to tonight's match live on 95.5 The Game or watch it live online at www.portlandtimbers.com/live.
Click here for tonight's match notes.
Tonight's Starters:
POR: GK Cronin, D Joy, D Smith, D Danso, D Purdy, M Pore, M McManus, M Gaudet, M Nimo, F Dike, F DeMartin
MIA: GK Patterson-Sewell, D Neto, D Kirby, D Veris, D Dias, M Rodriguez, M Cabias, M Gomez, M Dominguez, F Santeliz, F Araujo, Jr., F Thompson
Match Preview:
After a week-long break from matches, the Portland Timbers play host to the Miami FC Blues at PGE Park for the only time during the regular season. Tonight’s match kicks off the second half of the 2010 campaign for the Timbers.
In third place in the USSF D-2 Pro League’s USL Conference, the Timbers are on a three-game unbeaten streak in league play (2-0-1) and have shut out their last three opponents in that span. The Timbers played the NASL Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps to a scoreless draw in their last match July 3 at PGE Park.
Portland’s defense continues to rank near the top in the league, having allowed the second fewest goals (10). Goalkeeper
Steve Cronin
ranks second in the league with a 0.67 goals-against average through the first half of the season. Led by midfielder
Ryan Pore’s
50 shots on the season, the Timbers pace the league with 207 shots.
In their previous matchup against the Blues, the Timbers were handed a 1-0 loss June 12 in south Florida. Defender Kyle Veris headed home the game’s lone goal to secure the win and the Blues’ first victory over the Timbers since the 2008 season. Since Miami FC joined the league in 2006, the Timbers are 5-4-2 against the Blues, including a 3-2-0 mark at PGE Park. Portland was 2-0-1 against Miami FC in 2009, including a 3-1 win at PGE Park on Aug. 22.
On tap for the Timbers is a pair of premium exhibition matches, starting Sunday against Mexico’s Atlas at PGE Park at 6 p.m. The Timbers then face English Premier League side Manchester City on July 17, at Merlo Field on the University of Portland campus at 7 p.m. in an event open exclusively to season ticket holders. Portland’s next league match isn’t until July 22 in Vancouver, which begins the first of two four-game road trips this season.
